Supporting device



Patented Oct. 8, 1940 ATENT OFFICE l Emma Wylly Crum, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Application February 12, 1938` Serial No. 190,166

i claim. (01124-81) This invention relates to supporting devices adapted to be selectively attached to' structures of different 'size and to retain articles, such as, for example, the 4cords for annunciator-control 5 buttons, light control cablesand switches, and other small articles, in positions convenient for use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive supporting device which may be attached to a mattress, the side rail or head of a bed,` a tablefor other article of furniture and which isv `adapted to hold and releasably retain an electric cord or cable or other article. 151 Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting devicewhich may be `readily attached to structures which vary greatly `insize, such as, for example, articles of furniture.

Other objects" ofthe invention will become ap- A parentfrom aldescription of a typical form of device embodying theI invention.

In its preferred form, the invention is embodied in a device having a plurality of cooperating resilient clamping portions which are spaced apart diii'erent distances, said clamping portions being urged toward each other whereby they may engage on opposite sides of supporting structures of widely different thicknesses toY retain the device in a desired position. One form of the device is provided with a resilient hook-like portion adapted` to receive and resilently retain small articles such as electrical cables or conductors, pencils, thermometers and the like.

The device has particular usefulness in hospitals as a support for an annunciator cord and switch in that it may be readily attached to and retained on a thick article, such asthe edge of a mattress or on a thin supporting element such l as the head of the bed. The hook-like portion is adapted to retain the annunciator switch in a position which is readily accessible to the patient. The device may be located directly adjacent a hand of the patient so that the switch may be reached substantially without effort on the part of the patient.

The device may likewise be used with great facility as a support for the cord of an Velectrical iron in that it may be attached to an ironing 50 board or other convenient construction in any desired position.

For a better understanding of the present in* vention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which: l l 55 Figure is a perspective viewof a typical form of device embodying the invention attached to a portion of `al mattress; and

*Figure A2 is a perspective view of the vdevice attached to' a portion of the head of a bed.

The form ofdevice illustrated inthe drawing n'sists of two opposed jaw members Il] and II which are formed of spaced interconnected porticnsof a single wire.` The device is of generally` double` S-shaped formation consisting offa srnall` hook portion I2 spaced slightly from the 110* jaw I I and the main body portion of the S memberwhich consists of the jaws I0 and `II and suitable resilient connecting portions I3 of the wire.' Y Each connecting portion I3 of the Wire l may be provided with a coiled torsion spring I4 15" which` normally tends to force the outel` ends of jawsjlll and I'I` toward each other.

To form the device, a single wire may be bent atits centerinto a U-shaped formation. The closed hend lof the` lJ is bent into parallelism 20 withthe free ends of the wire to form the short hook portion I2 and the jaw ll. The free ends of the wire are` bent at substantially right angles to and away from hook I2 and jaw II to form connecting portions I3. 'Ihe torsion springs I4 25 are formed in the connecting portions I3 and the wire is again bent to form jaw I0 and complete the S-shaped structure. The ends of the wire may be bent toward each other and connected to form a unitary device. The `support 30 ing device may then be tempered to render it resilient. In practice, the length of the connecting portions I3 exceeds the transverse dimension of the device whereby structures may be gripped between the jaws I0 and II which are too thick 35 to be inserted between the connecting portions I3.

The device may be clamped, as illustrated in Figure 1, on theedge of a mattress I5 with the hook portion I2 adjacent either the top or the 40 bottom of the mattress. The hook portion I2 and the cooperating jaw II are so spaced that they will resiliently receive and retain a small article such as anelectric cord I6 which is provided with a push button type of switch I'I for 45 energizing an annunciator or for controlling electric lights andthe like. Likewise, other small articles may, if desired, be disposed beneath the hook portion I2 in order to retain them in a convenient `position for removal by the occupant of the bed.

The torsion springs I4 and the connecting p01'- tions I3 of the wires are normally spaced slightly apart but are resiliently urged toward each other by means of the tension of the wire, whereby, if

desired, the entire device may be resiliently attached to a structure of smaller dimension than a mattress, such as the head of a bed. As illustrated in Figure 2, the connecting portions I3 and torsion springs I4 may be disposed on opposite sides of the head of a bed with the hook formed by the loop I2 and a clamping portion II in position to receive the cord I6 of the switch I1.

The device is thus capable of use with supporting structures of comparatively great or of comparatively small thickness and will readily support many kinds of small devices in a desired convenient location.

The device, as illustrated, is formed of a single piece of wire but ifdesired a plurality of pieces may be used and welded together or connected in any other manner as may be desired to form a unitary construction.

The word wire used herein is intended to cover wire of circular or non-circular cross section, thin strips of metal or other similar spring material. If desired, the device may be provided with rubber covering vulcanized thereto or slipped thereover in order to prevent scarring of the article upon which the device is supported. The device is simple in construction and yet is highly effective in use and has many advantages, such as convenience of application to the supporting structure and substantially universal applicability to supporting structures of varying thickness or size.

While the device is illustrated as having clamping portions I0 and II thereof spaced at a comparatively great distance apart and the springs I4 and connecting portions I3 spaced at a comparatively short distance apart, these proportions may be variedv in accordance with the usage to which the device is to be put. Likewise, while the hook or loop portion I2 is illustrated as being substantially half the length of the clamping portion II, it should be understood that these proportions may be varied as, for example, by making the hook of smaller or greater dimensions than illustrated. Therefore, the embodiment of the invention disclosed should be considered as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of the following claim.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the substantially parallel lengths of wire I0 and II which form the jaws are connected together to form the ends of the jaws by portions I9, 20, of the same re-I silient wire and that connecting portion I9 which is reversed and forms the hook I2 thus is made to serve as a spring for urging those portions I3 which connect the jaws together, toward each other to yieldingly grip a supporting object. As the hook I2 is only reversed part way of the jaw which it overlies it does not prevent such engagement of the connecting portions over the support.

I claim:

A holder for the purposes set forth made of resilient Wire and comprising a pair of opposed jaws formed of spaced substantially parallel lengths of wire connected together across the ends of the jaws by resilient wire portions, resilient wire portions connecting said spaced lengths of wire which form the jaws and urging the ends of the jaws inwardly toward each other, the resilient connecting wire portion forming the end of one of the jaws being turned back part way over that jaw in the form of an overlying hook and forming a spring for urging the connecting wire portions toward each other to enable said connecting wire portions to receive between them and to yieldingly grip over a supporting member and said resilient connecting wire portions enabling the opposing jaws to receive between them and to yieldingly grip a supporting object.

EMMA WYLLY CRUM. 

